The Process Forum - Achievement Unlocked: Juris Doctorate

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Achievement Unlocked: Juris Doctorate

Hello everyone!

Been forever since I last posted. Why? Well, as some of you know, I'm a law student. Or was! In May, I graduated. Before you ask, it's a three year program.

So, what's next? The Bar Exam! Yes, you see, having a JD isn't enough to practice law. Until I have my bar license, I'm not actually a lawyer. The exam's at the end of July, and I've been studying day in and day out for it. Yes, now that I'm out of law school, I actually have to study more than I ever did.

But what's the big deal? Well, it's basically pass/fail, semi-curved, failure requires retaking it several months later, and I literally cannot get work as an attorney until I pass it. It's a two day exam, consisting of two six hour days, divided between a battery of essays and multiple choice exams on about a dozen fields of law: everything from Contracts to Constitutional Law. One question might be about writing checks; the next one is about search and seizure of personal property by the police.

I'll get my results back in October. Yes, that means I will wait over two months (and possibly as long as December) before I get my results back. And I'll be waiting on my character and fitness results at the same times: Yes, you do have to pass an ethics check before becoming an attorney.

When I get my license, I plan to go into litigation. I'd prefer to work in public litigation (e.g. gay rights), but there is little work in that for new attorneys. I'll probably work in criminal litigation, likely as a public defender, for a few years. However, I'm also interested in civil litigation (personal disputes between people). I don't know whether I could do business litigation - good money, but I might hate the work. Whatever the case, I'll be doing what I love.

Which is good, because I'll be broke for the first few years. You see, when you graduate law school, they don't hand you a million dollars and a host of sexy high-profile cases. You start out about $200,000 in debt working the small time. Now, that debt can disappear quickly if you take certain jobs, but many of the jobs which net you over $100,000 a year are the same jobs where you work 80 hours a week, and wake up one day realizing you're 40 years old and have no life. That's not the life I want; I'm not sure I could survive without video games, tabletop RPGs, and classic movies. :-P

Perhaps the weirdest thing I deal with is the reaction I get from people when I tell them about my attending law school: at least once a month, I'll get somebody saying, joking, "Oh, good, I could use a good criminal defense attorney some day!" I know it's a joke, but I still find it a little weird to have people say, "Just so you know, I totally expect I'll commit a crime and need somebody to defend me" with the hidden subtext of "do you work for free?"

I will say that it's nice to not have to wonder about many of the law-related questions I had before I attended law school. Not to say I have all the answers. Law school is as much about the philosophy of law as it is about the state of the law. It's perhaps more about what you don't know, and the ability to understand where there is room for interpretation, when something is confusing or vague, and where there are contradictions, or where there ought to be exceptions. It's fascinating stuff, even if (or perhaps because) the answer to so many questions is a firm, definite "maybe".

For those curious about non-law related stuff I've been doing... Well, playing through video game RPGs chronologically since the inception of the genre, watching a lot of classic movies, playing tabletop RPGs, and working on a tabletop RPG of my own design. Also, I have a DeviantArt and FurAffinity page where I do story commissions. I haven't had much time lately because, well, studying for the bar - but I still love to write. I hope to write a few articles about writing transformation fiction, process, and how to make characters for transformation-based RPs.

I hear the site and the community has undergone many changes since I was last about. I hope all of you are doing well. Be amused.

Disclaimer: I cannot, and will not, give legal advice. Do not construe anything I say as legal advice. I cannot give legal advice because I am not yet an attorney. If you are seeking legal advice, speak with an actual practicing attorney.